You spend a lot of time on your bike - whether in your free time or everyday life? Whether it's MTB trails, road bike training, bikepacking, or commuting... if you regularly spend more than two hours on the bike, it's worth investing in special cycling or functional clothing.
Here you'll learn how to wash this cycling clothing so that it lasts a long time.
What can cycling clothing do?
↪ And why is it worth being a bit careful when washing?
Cycling clothing is ultimately sportswear, more specifically outdoor clothing and thus functional clothing. This means: The function of the fibers and cuts is perfectly adapted to the requirements - in our case, to the movements and conditions in the bike saddle.
This brings you many advantages:
- Cycling clothing is mostly made from synthetic fibers and fabrics.
- The fibers are breathable, possibly also waterproof.
- Important for sportswear: stretchable fabrics.
- Cycling shirts, jerseys, and jackets have a special cut that is optimal for the seated position.
- Cycling shorts have particularly flat or no seams in the seat area, so pedaling doesn't chafe.
- Road bike bibs and other cycling shorts often have a pad - a cushion in the seat area.
- Here, the fabrics are also abrasion-resistant, so the shorts last longer.
- The outer layers (jackets or overpants) are windproof or waterproof.
- For cyclists, there's a special feature: Often, the front of the outerwear is particularly dense, while the back is well ventilated.
- Especially for clothing worn directly on the skin, a pleasant skin feeling is important.
- Practical: Especially for jerseys and cycling shorts, there are odor-inhibiting fabrics (you still need to wash these items, of course).
To ensure that cycling shorts, jackets, or shirts retain this function and their shape, it's important that you wash and care for them properly. Here you will find everything you need to know!
Even if the dirt beads off the cycling shorts... after a day in the bike park, they need to be washed!
How do I wash my cycling clothing correctly?
If you wash and care for your cycling clothing properly, it will last and function much longer. But don't worry – you don't have to guess how it works. The washing instructions will help you!
The tag inside the garment tells you how the washing works. Photo: Dimitry Steinke
❗Important: The washing instructions
How do you wash cycling clothing properly? A good hint is provided by the small sewn-in labels with the washing instructions – if you've never looked at them, … do it now! With this information, you can get started.
Washing correctly – here's how you do it:
- Remove coarse dirt by hand washing beforehand
- Sort clothing by color, type, and material
- Pay attention to washing symbols
- Wash similar colors together
- Clothing is washed more gently in a laundry bag
- Use a mild detergent or a sports detergent
- Avoid fabric softeners and bleaching detergents
- 30° wash cycles are okay
- The gentle wash cycle is usually the right choice
- Also follow the drying instructions
- Hang to dry or dry flat
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👉 Many manufacturers of cycling clothing also provide tips and tricks on washing and care on their websites, along with detailed washing instructions. If you want to maintain the functionality of your favorite items for a long time – trust the washing instructions! |
Experience shows: If you're not sure, hand washing is the safe method, especially for jackets or bibs with padding.
More important tips:
- Close zippers and Velcro fasteners
- Turn clothing inside out
- Do not overload the washing drum, as this minimizes friction between individual garments
⚠️ Typical mistakes when washing cycling clothing
The day in the bike park was great (okay, maybe a bit muddy), you really sweated on the road bike round, you'll never forget the gravel weekender… but once home, it's time to chill, the laundry can wait…
There are three things you should not do:
- After a muddy tour, stuff the entire bike kit into the washing machine at once and run an automatic program. In this case, it is almost guaranteed that at least one of your parts will be damaged. Cycling shorts, bike jackets, or jerseys are made of various materials, each with its peculiarities. They may require different washing programs.
- “The sports program will do!” Some washing machines have a special sports program that is suitable for many functional parts – but not for all!
- Leaving sweaty cycling clothes lying around. The longer sweat and dirt have the opportunity to settle, the harder it will be to get rid of them! So it's best to wash them right away!
🧴Which detergent for cycling clothing?
Normal delicate detergents are generally suitable, and environmentally friendly detergents work well too. Liquid detergents leave fewer residues in the gentle wash cycle than powders. Fabric softeners and bleach are harmful!
🐑 Warning, with winter cycling clothing with wool content, you need a wool detergent 🐑
Do you need special sports detergents?
Special sports detergents have an odor killer on board, which can definitely make sense for cycling clothing.
What to wash how?
↪ Washing instructions for pants, bibs & jackets
👖Washing cycling shorts correctly – there are differences!
Cycling shorts with padding or without... it's not just a matter of taste, there are real differences in care! Here are the washing instructions for:
- “Normal” cycling shorts
- Waterproof cycling shorts
- Cycling over-trousers
- Bibs and shorts with padding
🧽Washing cycling shorts and bibs with padding
To keep the padded foam in shape and prevent it from collapsing, the washing instructions are particularly important here!
- Always follow the washing instructions
- Be careful with the choice of detergent, it can damage the material of the padding
- Spin only as instructed
- Let air dry
- Possibly hand wash
- Do not wring out the seat padding
How often should you wash cycling shorts with padding?
A tight-fitting bib shorts or cycling shorts with seat padding are usually worn without underwear underneath, so you should definitely wash them regularly, a wash after every training is common here. The bacteria that form when sweating not only cause an unpleasant odor but also accelerate the decomposition process of the material in the long run.
Can a cycling shorts with padding be spun?
Spin or not - you should definitely follow the washing instructions of the individual shorts/bibs.
Which detergent is right for your bibs?
A gentle detergent without bleach or fabric softener is suitable in most cases.
How does the bib dry best?
Drying in the dryer is usually prohibited, but the material dries quickly anyway. Some cycling shorts should dry flat.
Normal cycling shorts
For everyday use, MTB tours, or trekking cyclists, there are shorts adapted to the sport that have no special requirements otherwise. You can wash them on a normal gentle cycle.
Proper care for waterproof cycling shorts
If you have waterproof or water-repellent cycling shorts, it depends on the material. Shorts and MTB shorts can be made of softshell, hardshell, and other fabrics, so reading the individual washing instructions is the best way not to ruin the shorts.
Cycling overpants
Pants that you wear over your pants when cycling in the rain are often made of the same materials as rain jackets. Therefore, the same washing and care instructions apply here.
You only need to wash them if they are dirty or smell, and they may need to be re-waterproofed.
🧥 Caring for & washing cycling jackets
You can wear a rain jacket until it is really dirty or no longer smells good. It should keep rain and dirt away from the body and will certainly get dirty again after the next ride in bad weather. It's enough if you let it dry well after each rain shower.
You can treat a dirtsuit like a cycling jacket.
Beware of membrane!
Cycling jackets are often coated with a membrane that makes them waterproof or windproof - and this thin layer is very sensitive. The less you wash the jacket, the longer the membrane will last. You should even be careful when putting it on and taking it off. If the fabric is stretchy, the membrane can become brittle.
✅ Ultra-light cycling jackets - wash with particular care
✅ Softshell - quite insensitive without membrane
✅ Hardshell - caution is advised with membrane, may need to be re-waterproofed
✅ Dirtsuit - wash like the corresponding jackets
🎽 Cycling jerseys are usually insensitive in the wash
For jerseys, the frequency of washing depends on your cleanliness preferences – and how much you sweat while cycling. MTB shirts are often durable and can be washed normally. High-tech road cycling jerseys, on the other hand, often require special treatment.
🌬️Properly drying cycling clothing
A lot can go wrong when drying too – and your cycling clothing might not function as intended afterwards.
With a few exceptions, you can hang up cycling pants, jerseys, or jackets to dry. Sportswear is often “quick-drying”, so drying them in a dryer is hardly worth it.
Our tip: ☀️ Please do not hang in direct sunlight, as colors can fade.
Is it permissible to spin-dry cycling functional clothing?
You should generally avoid high-speed and very long spinning and instead hang the clothing in a well-ventilated, shady place to dry after washing, rather than pressing all the moisture out of the material by spinning it.
You should never wring out cycling functional clothing, gently squeezing is okay as it does not damage the membrane of the material.
Drip dry or let drip
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Especially with jackets or cycling pants with membranes, spinning or squeezing can be completely forbidden! |
If you find the instruction “let drip” or in English drip-dry in the washing instructions, hang the dripping wet garment on a hanger or line.
“Dry flat”
Some items are so delicate that they should not be hung, as they can be stretched in length and lose their shape. You can let them dry flat on a drying rack.
Is drying in the dryer allowed?
Under no circumstances should you put your freshly washed functional clothing in the dryer – the risk of causing irreparable damage to the function of your clothing is too great. Letting them air dry is also more environmentally friendly 😉
How long does cycling clothing “last”?
If you spend a lot of money on a piece of clothing, you expect it to have a long lifespan. Generally, this is true for functional and cycling clothing as well.
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Our tip: Experience shows... Functional cycling clothing often has special requests when it comes to washing and care! You should ALWAYS read and follow the care instructions and washing instructions of each individual garment if you want to enjoy your bike pants, jackets, or shirts for a long time! |
If you follow these instructions, you can often wear the bike clothing for years.
Re-impregnating cycling clothing
Sports and functional clothing should be as uncomplicated as possible, and it usually is. It doesn't require much care, only you need to re-impregnate cycling jackets from time to time.
Also part of your cycling outfit, but a completely different matter in terms of laundry... the bike shoes.
There are various ways to renew the impregnation, it is either sprayed on or applied in a wash cycle. Whether the impregnation spray is applied to dry or damp fabric is stated in the product's instructions.
How often you should refresh the impregnation naturally depends on how often you use and wash the clothing. A good guideline is the "beading control." If raindrops cling to the clothing and no longer bead off easily, it's high time to renew the impregnation.
The problem with impregnation: The products are often toxic. For the sake of your skin and the environment, we recommend opting for harmless impregnators!
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Some manufacturers offer a special service: You can send in cycling clothing to have it re-impregnated. Especially with expensive cycling jackets, this significantly increases their lifespan. |
Iron cycling pants & Co.??
No. This damages functional clothing and being wrinkle-free really doesn't matter on the trail!
👃My cycling clothing smells unpleasant despite multiple washes. What can I do?
Cycling clothing (especially padded shorts, which are worn without underwear) is constantly sweat-soaked, so an unpleasant smell can remain despite multiple washes. Then, bacteria formed in the sweat are the culprits, as they survive a washing machine cycle at 30°C easily.
Getting rid of the smell – three options:
- Sports detergent can minimize odors; it is either heavily perfumed or has an odor-binding additive.
- Even more powerful is a disinfectant additive when washing. However, it is usually relatively expensive and not always compatible with functional clothing.
- The much cheaper and completely harmless option is "shock freezing" the bacteria. Smelly clothing goes into a plastic bag and then into the freezer for 24 hours. It doesn't work with every smell, but it's definitely worth a try.
↪Buy fresh cycling clothing ↩
Cycling clothing | Cycling shorts | Cycling jackets | Jerseys | Shirts | Rainwear
More exciting topics about cycling clothing in the Bike Blog:
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- What helmet size do children need?
- Cycling clothing for winter
- Cycling jackets for summer
- Cycling gloves for summer
